It will certainly be the worst possible nightmare for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. along with his somewhat estranged sister, Senator Imee Marcos.

Once, I believed it was not likely to happen. Not anymore.

That scenario is, of course, an Edsa Tres, a real one. There was a fake one that could have toppled Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, but at the time that she half admitted that she had cheated Fernando Poe Jr out of the presidency –  I am sorry. Remember? – but it was too soon after the second Edsa uprising that resulted in the fall of the Erap Estrada regime.

I am now considering the possibility that today’s youth could spark an uprising against this second Marcos regime based on how sickeningly corrupt the government under Marcos Jr. has become.

Everyone is talking about the flood control projects mess that may have cost Filipino taxpayers up to a trillion pesos, lost to corrupt government officials, lawmakers, and contractors.

I have to repeat this. One trillion pesos. In figures, that’s P1,000,000,000,000. That’s a whole lot of zeros, isn’t it?

Math is one of my weaknesses, but doesn’t this translate to one million Filipinos getting one million pesos each?

I have to make light of this topic because I would otherwise be depressed.

Marcos Jr. has said he was angry at the level of corruption being revealed. He’s even shed (crocodile) tears.

I do not know how he truly feels seeing that his own first cousin, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, has been implicated in the scandal.

His denials notwithstanding, Romualdez does have a huge say on how the national budget is crafted and eventually passed. It is impossible for him not to be aware of the insertions of both congressmen and senators in the process.

This week, the Senate rightfully removed erstwhile Senate President Chiz Escudero, who not only admitted inserting a humongous amount in the national budget but was also found to have illegally received a massive donation from a contractor/friend for his senate campaign. The amount was P30 million, and Escudero acts as if it’s the most natural thing in the world to break the law involving campaign donations.

Speaker Romualdez, on the other hand, does not seem to be in any danger of being removed from his post anytime soon.

I submit that the Speaker is the weakest link in the Marcos regime, and may eventually lead to the ouster of Marcos Jr. if public anger rises to the extreme.

The Philippines’ next door neighbor, Indonesia, is currently in the midst of a popular uprising, akin to our Edsa revolts. The one big difference is that there have been violent clashes there. There is also one major similarity in that our brother Indonesians have become angry at their similarly corrupt government.

Which leads me back to the possibility of an Edsa Tres.

The question is: Will it be a good thing or bad for the Philippines?

There are pluses and minuses to seeing a repeat of a mass movement that would force Marcos Jr. and his family to flee, perhaps back to Hawaii. Imee may claim that she is not part of her kid brother’s regime, and is actually with the opposition, but that would risk an angry mob seeking to break her chin.

On the plus side, an Edsa Tres could result in a true cleansing of the government, which must include the bureaucracy.

I have always held that the one, true Edsa People Power revolt  –  I do not consider it a revolution – did not succeed because President Cory Aquino allowed her hands to be tied. She could not or would not overhaul the entire government bureaucracy, much of which had become hopelessly corrupt by the time she Bureau of Customs. If memory serves, the Supreme Court rejected the proposal.

As a result, Cory had to make do with what she had, which was a government with a lot of traitors  –  balimbings as they were called back then  – finding their pay to the new administration.

So if a possible Edsa Tres only results in the removal of a president perceived as either too weak or too soft to take down his corrupt relatives, then what would be the point?

The Philippines would only go back to square one yet again.

One negative thing about another Edsa is the global perception of the Philippines as a country that is quick to remove corrupt officials, only to tolerate another bunch of graft-prone leaders to take the helm.

Worst of all, doubts would be raised about the political stability of the country, especially in the eyes of global investors.

Yet there is also the perception that something is not quite right about the Philippines. There may be outward signs of progress, but the political system remains controlled by dynasties who are supposedly banned by the Constitution, but with Congress unable to create the laws that would enforce that ban.

His supporters say that Marcos Jr. is trying his best and he does have some very competent men and women in his Cabinet.

But what if his best is just not good enough?

Does the country have to suffer his anemic leadership for three more years?

It is possible that Marcos Jr. will remain in the presidential palace until the end of his term. It may also be possible that his chosen successor will take over as chief executive in 2028.

And then what?

The worst case scenario would be an Edsa Tres happening out of sheer necessity if yet another weak or corrupt leader assumes the presidency after Marcos Jr. steps down.

The greatest tragedy is that the next popular revolt will necessarily be violent, as peaceful ones have proven to be exercises in futility.

The best case scenario would be for an honest, competent, and caring president to take over. He/she should combine the best traits of Fidel Ramos, Noynoy Aquino, Manuel Quezon, and Ramon Magsaysay.

Otherwise, if another Rodrigo Duterte, Erap Estrada, or Ferdinand Marcos Sr. or Jr. would take over, it will only be confirmed that the Republic of the Philippines is a hopeless mess, a country run like hell as Quezon once predicted.